The Rockford Files (1979) – Guilt and The Deuce

  Jim (James Garner) finds himself in all manner of trouble this week… First up is Guilt, that was written by Juanita Bartlett and originally aired 19 January, 1979. The phone message this time around features a message from Angel (Stuart Margolin) who gets a hot tip about a horse, but needs to bum some…

Chinatown (1974) – Roman Polanski

The final recommendation following my screening of The Big Sleep from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is one of my favorite Jack Nicholson films, and undeniably one of the best noir films ever made. Jack plays detective J.J. Gittes, and it’s the 40s in the city of Angels. Hired on a…

Smoke and Mirrors (1998) – Neil Gaiman

  This collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman was just what I needed. All the tales deal with magic or illusion, whether in the form of creatures, sex, drugs, or life, the power of each is examined under the eye of this brilliant author in this wonderful collection of stories, some of which I…

Airwolf (1984) – The Hunted and Sins of the Past

  There’s trouble enough for everyone in this week’s double episode installment of Airwolf! First up is The Hunted, written by Chester Krumholz, which aired 20 October, 1984. Gregg Henry guest stars as Robert Villers, a dangerous assassin who has his eye on Carter Andereson III (Joseph Chapman). Anderson has hired String (Jan-Michael Vincent), Dom…

Farewell My Lovely (1975) – Dick Richards

  Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack O’Halloran, Anthony Zerbe and even Sylvester Stallone are all featured in this 1970s adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s novel; the next recommendation from The Big Sleep in the Great Movies -100 Years of Film book. Mitchum plays Phillip Marlowe, who is hired by hulking brute Moose Malloy…

The Third Man (1949) – Carol Reed

  Joseph Cotten finds himself caught up in a dark thriller in this next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of The Big Sleep. Cotten plays Western novelist Holly Martins, who arrives in post-war Austria to see his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Unfortunately after his arrival,…

The Glass Key (1942) – Stuart Heisler

  The journey into film noir continues with the recommendations from my Great Movies – 100 Years of Film for my screening of The Big Sleep. Alan Ladd is Ed Beaumont, the right hand man, and best friend of corrupt politician Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy). When Madvig shuts down a gangster, Nick Varna (Joseph Calleia)…

The Cabinet of Curiosities (2002) – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

  The third novel featuring FBI agent Pendergast is set, once again, in New York. It’s been a number of years since the journey into the sublevels of the Big Apple, but a curious discovery has drawn Pendergast back to the city. A charnel house has been discovered while the foundation of a new building…